A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 466 Design Competition Grand Prize

The design competition has come to an end. After rigorous evaluation by the "expert judges," the first place in the destruction group was awarded to "Long-lasting Dizziness Spell." It is a combination of [Sensitive Nerves] and [Dizziness Spell]. It is merely composed of two low-level spells, and its original effect is not particularly outstanding.

The [Stun] spell only stuns the target briefly. After all, it's a harmless, zero-level spell. It's used by mages with rich combat experience but insufficient damage output to interrupt spellcasting and create openings for the enemy at crucial moments. But for most mages, one fireball isn't enough; they'll just use two. What's the point of stunning them?

【Sensitive Nerves】is a spell that applies a positive buff to the target, increasing sensory and motor functions and reaction speed for a short period by raising nerve excitability.

The two spells themselves were nothing special, but when they were superimposed into the spell string, the target's senses were amplified first. This was the result of fine-tuning the [Sensitive Nerves] descriptor. The adjustment did not improve motor function. Then, multiple [Stun] spells were repeatedly released on another axis until the spell string ended.

Its spellcasting is simple enough that the spell chains are also simple, the response speed is fast, and it is friendly to both the tower spirit and the caster.

As for the effect being similar to "a light bulb stuck in your mouth that you can't get out" from a past life, no one believed it until they experienced it for themselves.

Rorschach was also one of those who didn't believe in superstitions. Then, it was as if he had been stuffed into a washing machine. Even though he hadn't moved, the world began to spin, and all his senses were heightened. All sounds became noise, and his vision began to blur into dazzling spots of light. His nose stung as if he smelled a mixture of all sorts of suffocating odors, and finally, a familiar nausea, namely the weakness and dizziness after his magic was depleted.

The design team has clearly made adjustments to the [Dizziness Spell]. Of the 128 spell ticks, the first eight ticks require waiting for [Sensitive Nerves] to take effect, while the remaining 120 ticks consist of 20 different dizzying attacks each.

Andrei immediately followed the thoughtful instructions in the design manual, sending Rorschach three "Resist Seasickness" spells in a row, and then helped him up from the ground covered in vomit.

Fortunately, there were only two people in the studio.

"I'm fine with vomiting. Let's go with them."

According to the test, the spell can cause the target who fails the Willpower check to lose the ability to act for at least one hour. Even if the target survives the first [Stun], they still have to check the next nineteen times. They will eventually faint, it's just a matter of how long it takes to recover.

Moreover, it has a disgusting characteristic: it amplifies the sensation of magical energy circulation within the body, and in a catastrophic way. The higher the level of the mage, the more easily they are affected, and the dizziness causes them to lose control of their magical energy. This is what Rorschach ultimately experienced.

Therefore, this spell combo is rare, and theoretically, it won't lose power against most high-level mages. According to the mages' evaluation in the Arcane Tower, its effect is equivalent to a third-level spell.

Other entries in the same category focused too much on power itself. In the judges' eyes, they were at best just combinations of spells within the third ring. No matter how powerful they were, they couldn't compare to higher-ring spells. As one judge put it, "No matter how strong those things are, they can't get past my shield."

Only this spell sequence, using the lowest level of magic with a simple yet ingenious combination, achieved a decent effect, making all the judges' eyes light up even after they had crawled out of their vomit.

What Rorschach values ​​most is that this work fully embodies the meaning of "spell chaining". Without the spell chaining mechanism, casting "Sensitive Nerves" on an enemy before casting "Stun" would be insane; by the time the spell is finished, the enemy's lethal magic would already be splattered on their face.

With the spell chain mechanism, this idea has become worthwhile. Furthermore, the author made full use of the "descriptor" mechanism to avoid the enhancement of enemies by "sensitive nerves" and to insert 20 different stuns.

In fact, there were also off-field factors to consider when awarding it. Since ordinary people participated in this competition, it was open to the public. Everyone was very curious about what the mages were doing. If they used world-destroying magic (although they didn't), even the "destruction group" had to consider how ordinary people would perceive it and should avoid causing an overreaction from the public.

At least not when it was announced; everyone treated it as a joke, with many saying, "That's it?"

Until the security forces within the Special Administrative Region were equipped with a "You'll Vomit Until You Die" scroll, some social destabilizing factors immediately experienced its power. Being hit by it once will not cause serious physical harm, but it can ensure that everyone who is hit loses their mobility, allowing the security forces to carry out law enforcement in a harmless and safe manner.

As for the countermeasure, [Resist Seasickness], it's a first-level spell, and you need to stack at least three layers to prevent it, making it more expensive than the "Guaranteed Vomiting" scroll itself. Other calming spells are of a higher level and are more difficult for the average person to obtain.

To be honest, many of the apprentices were unconvinced, because they brought out even more powerful spells.

No one from the team was present when it came time to receive the award, as each member was undergoing treatment for a range of issues including cochlear damage, neurasthenia, acid reflux, and ulcers.

Clearly, they were using themselves as guinea pigs, and the other participating teams were truly impressed, left only with silent respect.

The application category mainly focused on converting spell strings into magic circuits to create alchemical items. The grand prize was ultimately chosen from two categories, with differing opinions on which should be awarded.

First, there's the "Accelerated Fermentation Tank." It doesn't use time magic to speed things up; instead, it heats the fermenting material inside the tank to 80 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the polysaccharides decompose, and the evaporation of carbon dioxide and alcohol is accelerated, preventing excessively high concentrations of these substances in the fermentation system. Simultaneously, a brief zero-circle spell, "Increase Resistance," allows the microorganisms inside to survive the harsh environment.

This process, which the team named "boiling fermentation," requires three initiations within an hour. Once completed, the yeast itself will burn everything off and produce a "gg" (a strong fermentation result). After the fermented material is left to stand in the tank, it will separate into residue and alcohol.

The only thing to be aware of is that a sudden burst of a large amount of gas can cause a sudden increase in pressure inside the can, so a well-sealed and pressure-resistant iron can is required.

Another strong contender is the "Ice and Fire Engine," which Rorschach immediately recognized as being based on a Stirling engine. It is the most promising heat engine to approach the thermodynamic limits; in his previous life, its upper limit was mainly limited by temperature difference.

Engines are driven by hot and cold air. The expansion of air in the air chamber when heated and the contraction when cooled both generate mechanical work. The greater the temperature difference, the more powerful the engine. However, in the previous life, heating was simple, but cooling was difficult. In addition, due to the heat resistance limit of the materials, the temperature difference that could be achieved under operating conditions was destined to be not too high.

Fortunately, this is a magical world. The spell allows heating and cooling to alternate rapidly, resulting in the flywheel spinning wildly as if it had taken a super-powerful drug. It is said that after the first prototype was made, the flywheel's bearing broke off, almost reducing the number of team members from five to four.

It is obvious that both projects are inseparable from production practice. The team that created the accelerated fermentation tank chose ordinary people who were not students, but experienced masters from food factories. They had a deep understanding of the fermentation process and were able to determine the heating temperature, the time and number of "boiling fermentation" cycles. On the other hand, without the support of technicians who had studied thermodynamics, the apprentices of the Tower of Arcane Arts would definitely not have been able to handle the engine of the latter project.

Rorschach favored the engine, but the other judges unanimously chose the "Rapid Fermentation Tank" and inquired about a smaller version suitable for private cellars. There are rumors, though officially denied, that Byrne's alcohol regulations are about to be upgraded to Prohibition; such a device would definitely be a bestseller.

"A bunch of drunkards!" Rorschach could only mutter helplessly.

(End of this chapter)